Recipe Monday: Charoset

Welcome back for another edition of Recipe Monday! Today I’m once again linking up with Cassandra at Powered by BLING and Annmarie from the Fit Foodie Mama for some tasty Meatless Monday recipes.

Today is a special edition of Recipe Monday and here’s why: Friday at sundown begins the Jewish holiday of Passover. Passover is one of my favorite holidays and has some of the most delicious food to boot. So in anticipation of Pesach (Passover), I’m going to share with you a tasty, family recipe for charoset. Last year I shared a matzah recipe, which oddly enough, pairs nicely with charoset (particularly for the Hillel sandwich).

Charoset is a traditional dish of apples and nuts, which is served as part of the Passover Seder. Charoset is one of the symbolic foods represented on the Seder plate, and reminds us of the mortar between the bricks the Jews used to build with while enslaved by the Pharaoh in Egypt. While charoset may represent an unappealing side to the Passover story, the flavor of this dish is more than appealing and tastes nothing like mortar.

To learn more about Pesach and all of the symbolic foods we eat on this holiday, click here.

Since it’s not Passover yet, and I have yet to make my charoset, I unfortunately don’t have any of my own photos. But I did find this lovely photo on the internet and it looks like it resembles what mine looks like when it’s done. (Special thanks to the Addison-Penzak JCC of Silicon Valley for letting me borrow your lovely photo.

Photo Credit: Addison-Penzak JCC of Silicon Valley

Feel free to make this tasty dish any time of the year. It’s great with crackers, on toast (after Passover, of course), or by the forkful. Without any further ado, here is the recipe. Enjoy! And for those of you celebrating, happy Passover! Chag Pesach Sameach!

Traditional Family Charoset

Ingredients

2 apples, cored and chopped (use whatever apples you like best but traditionally a red-tone apple works best — Fuji, Red Delicious, etc.)

1-1.5 oz chopped walnuts or pecans

sprinkle of cinnamon

1/4-1/2 C kosher wine or grape juice

Directions

Put apples and nuts in a large bowl and combine. Add wine (or juice) a little bit at a time. The key is to add flavor and to hold the apples and nuts together, but not to make the mixture too wet. Continuing mixing as you add the wine. (Make sure there’s a tiny bit of excess liquid, which will soak up in the next step.) Sprinkle with cinnamon and toss.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour before serving, but preferably up to 24 hours. This will allow the wine to soak through the apples and nuts and create a nice flavor and texture. If you find the mixture is too dry, add a little more wine before serving.

Do YOU celebrate Passover? And if not, have you been to a Passover Seder?

I've definitely noticed we have some very similar recipes at times! Charoset is delicious, and I've seriously considered making it just to make it but by the time I think of it, Passover rolls around again. 🙂

I adore charoset and can't wait to make it this year. We decided we are going to have a small Seder meal here at home, as opposed to traveling to family like we usually do. My kids are very excited for this! Seriously, charoset can and should be eaten all year round. 🙂